The idea of existence itself is so convoluted in both western and eastern existential philosophies. It has become a corpulent mass of flesh, a spaghetti monster. Finding truth has become like unraveling a knitting factory after a tornado has gone through the building. Yet I see themes everywhere in the metaphysical world. If we truly… read more

Talking to Grief by Denise Levertov Ah, Grief, I should not treat you like a homeless dog who comes to the back door for a crust, for a meatless bone. I should trust you. . I should coax you into the house and give you your own corner, a worn mat to lie on, your… read more

Codependency is when we do not have a self. Enmeshed in the other, we find our existence in the approval of others. To truly be, without control, without the desperation, is to know who we are, and who we are not. It is to be at peace with our limitations; to have gratitude for our… read more

Leave your cell phone, your watch and your thoughts on the kitchen table. Walk slowly. Leave the trail to follow a scent or to follow a bird’s refrain. Listen for the stirrings in the underbrush. Notice what grows at your feet, the puzzle-pieces of the sky and what the light reveals. Cast… read more

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground. So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind: Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.… read more

In 1999 a small rural congregation in West Virginia set out to build a new church building. An elderly member had willed a piece of land, so all the members had to do was raise the money for the building itself. They even did much of the construction labor with their own hands. In less… read more

IN BLACKWATER WOODS Look, the trees are turning their own bodies into pillars of light, are giving off the rich fragrance of cinnamon and fulfillment, the long tapers of cattails are bursting and floating away over the blue shoulders of the ponds, and every pond, no matter what its name is, is nameless now. Every… read more

Identify what you’re feeling rather than blindly letting your emotions run roughshod and do damage. Understanding why you feel something allows you to be in control rather than being controlled by your emotions. Understanding also means you can consciously resolve the reasons causing the strong emotion. Tolerate uncertainty and learn to be calm through the… read more

This was my hallway last Wednesday. Broken. Sharp. Treacherous. This was my hallway. It was my son who did this. Sometimes, often really, things break – irreparably. And it takes your breath away … straight away. It took my breath away when my son stormed into the bathroom, frustrated, angry, fed-up for his very own,… read more

“I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me… read more

Have you ever wanted to really understand who God is? Or how to follow God deeply and fully? This 100+ year old, newly updated booklet, of only 60 pages, is simple to read, and will show you how to know God. Steps to Jesus Chapters God’s Love Forgiveness Changing Our Lives Acknowledging Our Mistakes Commitment… read more

When, full of promise, faith was fair When chosen, naive Yet of despair and stained garments Yet of broken things unmended And this a chore of gratitude And of foul, joy Of meaning, this purifying fire Of humiliation, hope I have flailed to see I have flailed Like dusk Like twilight Beyond certain Beyond now… read more

“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by: creed, worship by discipline,… read more